MANP Cape May Event - 7 - 9 May 2004 Report

The MANP Regional Event held at Cape May was, despite the slight chill, sparseness of shorebirds and horseshoe crabs - fun. We had a good turn out from our members and it was great to finally meet you. 

Cape May, known for its importance to bird migration, did not fully deliver in my opinion.  Maybe it was the time of year, but we had to really look for any type of wildlife to photograph.  We split up in groups, each heading out in a different direction, equipped with member cell phone numbers.  When a group found something, that group would notify the rest of us of the opportunity. 

Our time frame was about a week off according to the Fish and Wildlife Services as the horseshoe crabs were not expected to arrive until the following week.  As a side note - the Fish and Wildlife Services said when the horseshoe crabs arrived; they would close off all the areas that belonged to the Federal Government. They indicated that individuals wanting to observe the event were interfering with the nesting activities.

Below are a few images taken by MANP members during this event.  Please note that these images are small and therefore do not represent the true quality of the images submitted.  The images are but a sample of those taken during this event.  Look for more Cape May images on the forums posted by MANP members.

Photo:  MANP Member Bob Highland on the Beach – Sue Alden

Photo:  Egrets on the Beach – Gordon Large

Photo:  Patterns in the Sand – Gordon Large

Photo:  A Crab Joined Our Party – Sue Alden

Photo:  Pair of Black Ducks In Evening Light – Gordon Large

Photo:  Allen Shooting A Shore Bird – Sue Alden

Photo:  Egret Taking Off – Gordon Large

Photo:  Osprey In Flight – Bob Mohr

Photo:  Gordon Large looking for those Shore Birds – Sue Alden

Photo:  Swan – Gordon Large

Photo:  Laughing Gull In Flight – Sue Alden

Photo:  Male Mallard – Sue Alden